The Darkness Between Stars
by Twilen
Summary: This story explores Thane's journey as he loses Irikah and finally meets Shepard that fateful night. Rated M just to be safe and for future chapters. Read and Enjoy.  Mass Effect belongs to Bioware.
1. Chapter 1

"Thane…please."

"I must."

"No, you want to. There are many labor jobs at the Citadel, perhaps you could—"

"What, Irikah? Should I be an assistant in a Hanar shop? Selling armor and upgrades to the general public…a shell of who I was?"

This had been an occurring argument for years and it showed no signs of being resolved. Thane paced back and forth in their bedroom, scratching softly at his one of his skull ridges with frustration. He was honored to have his wife and thanked the gods for their son but how else was he supposed to provide for them when his skills only involved death?

Irikah watched her husband with sad eyes the color of leaves in the fall and warm sunsets. She tried her best to show him the life outside of his "work", that there was more to existence than the next hit. It was an argument she lost more than she wanted. Sharp laughter drew her attention to the window and she spotted Kolyat outside as he played in the small yard. He always seemed to enjoy the garden and he jumped around in the small pond with bare feet. Above him, the large climate-controlled dome that covered their living community kept the pouring rain from ruining his play time.

She thought of the Drell home world and its long dead landscapes that the Hanar had saved her people from centuries ago. The Hanar had been compassionate and generous with their planet and resources but it was the Compact—an agreement created from appreciation between Drell and Hanar that often meant servitude—that had created men like Thane. An assassin trained since the age of six, he was now a twenty-nine year old man that knew nothing but death. Irikah turned her gaze from Kolyat and looked at Thane who had followed her line of sight and was watching Kolyat with a mixed expression of joy and sadness.

"I know it's difficult for you, my love," Irikah whispered. "But you're gone far too long. Think of Kolyat…"

"I do this for Kolyat," Thane snapped. "The galaxy is a dark place and one day Kolyat will leave Kahje to explore the stars."

Irikah scoffed and her brow ridges lowered with anger. "You can't make the entire universe safe for one person, Thane! You hide behind your excuses and I can't take it! Do you love us or not?"

Thane's eyelids blinked rapidly as he processed her accusations. "You cannot seriously ask me that….you woke me up. My sunset rose…my siha…"

Thane went over to Irikah to caress her cheek affectionately and found it wet with tears. His heart crumbled and he went on his knees in front of her, much like that days years ago when he begged her forgiveness. It brought back memories for both of them and Irikah chuckled softly as she wrapped her arms around Thane.

"I love you, Thane…never doubt that," she whispered. "But how long will I have to lie to my friends and our family about where you are? How long will you leave us alone? How long?"

Thane buried his face in the soft fabric of Irikah's dress and sighed. "I must provide for you and Kolyat. I can do nothing else."

"You can try."

"I don't think I can."

Irikah stroked his face lovingly. "I helped you see the joy of life that laid beyond the scope of a sniper rifle…let me help you again."

Thane reluctantly pulled away from Irikah's embrace and stood. "You have given me more than I deserve, siha. I want you and Kolyat to desire for nothing and your current salary simply can't handle all the expenses."

"Then we can move to less expensive quarters," Irikah offered.

Thane shook his head. "No. Kolyat is secure in this area; he enjoys the school….has friends. I will not uproot him."

"You think material things is what your family needs, Thane? We need YOU."

Thane was losing his patience and he frowned. "Irikah, I told you that I—"

"Father! Father!"

Kolyat burst into the room and ran for Thane, who was still a bit shaken by the sudden noise. Assassins and loud noises were never a good mix. The small boy of only nine leapt at Thane and his father easily caught him. Kolyat's high pitched giggles filled the room as Thane spun him in circles, an easy feat since Drell were much stronger than they looked. Irikah smiled as she watched father and son but it was bittersweet since she knew Thane would be leaving soon. Her friends often told her how lucky she was to have a husband that provided the best for them but it was built with the countless blood of others.

"And then I ran even faster, Father!" Kolyat exclaimed. He was telling Thane a very animated tale about a race at his school and he drew upon his perfect memory (with a few embellishes) to brag to his father just how amazing he was.

Thane's assassin heart melted and he listened to his son with rapt attention, soaking in Kolyat's memory as it became his own. He was studying the child from how he moved to the way he spoke, noting every detail of his son so he had the perfect picture in his head. It would be a welcome memory to revisit when he was away from home and his only comforts were sneaking on dirty transport ships and the cold emptiness of the kill.

"So I tripped a little but I still managed to get second place!" Kolyat finished.

Thane smiled. "You are truly a born athlete. I'm proud of you, son."

Kolyat beamed and finally acknowledged Irikah. "Hi mom!" he chirped and gave her a much bigger hug.

"Hello, my dear," he cooed and nuzzled at his cheek until the boy laughed. "Go wash up, I can see the dirt under your scales! Dinner will be ready soon."

Kolyat nodded. "Okay mom." He was near the door when he suddenly stopped and turned around to look at Thane. "Are you….staying?"

Thane didn't expect the pain to be so great from hearing such distrust in his son's voice. "I will be sharing dinner with you." He was still leaving but at least he could enjoy tonight.

Kolyat misunderstood Thane's half-truth and jumped up and down. "Yes, yes, yes!" He bolted out of the room.

Irikah went over to Thane and hit him on the shoulder. "How dare you!" she hissed.

Thane blinked as he was thrown back into the memory where she said the same thing to him years ago. "What have I done?" he asked.

"I know your ways of speaking," he sneered. "You promise him dinner but you let him believe more. You are cruel, Thane."

Cruel? Thane's heart nearly broke in two. "I didn't want to hurt him…"

"You will hurt him even more when he finds out you are gone. He will now believe that you lied to him."

Thane reached for her but she pulled away. "Dinner will be ready in an hour," she said stiffly and walked out of the room.

Thane went into his study and checked his console for any information for his next target, Vernus Tarnik. He was a kingpin of sorts that was involved in the slaver ring he had put down a few months ago. His employer wanted no loose ends and even though the leader was dead, Tarnik seemed like a likely candidate to rise up in the ranks and start the slaver's business anew.

Part of Thane was a coward, he knew this. He used his work to escape Irikah's anger, Kolyat's disappointment and a life that he was never truly able to adjust to. Killing…now that was something he knew. He sent an encrypted message to his contact and informed them he was ready and waiting for instructions.

"Hi Father!"

Thane quickly closed the console and smiled at his son. Odd, how he could be so full of life and such joy when there was so much darkness waiting beyond the city. Thane grinned as Kolyat played with the console and old music that was recovered from the Rakhana archives filled the room. Suddenly, Thane had papers thrust into his line of vision that consisted of drawings of the Encompassing, the large ocean of Kahje, and graded school work with high marks.

"Look what I did at school yesterday!" he demanded.

It was always like this when he was home for more than a day. Kolyat rushed at him with stories, school work, drawings and more as he tried to be seen by his father. It was as if Kolyat was constantly trying to prove his worth, to get his father to stay just one more day...one more week. He didn't realized how overwhelmed Thane felt underneath his façade of warm smiles and endless compliments. Of course, Thane truly was proud of his son and celebrated his achievements but there were parts of him that had no idea what went on in Kolyat's mind. Thane never had a childhood and in its place was nonstop training on the countless ways to eliminate his target. His greatest achievement at Kolyat's age was being able to take apart a sniper rifle and put it back together blindfolded. Recess, classmates and scribbled art work were completely foreign to him and the wondrous world Kolyat inhabited would never make sense to Thane. It only mattered because it was important to Kolyat, nothing else.

The papers disappeared and then a small hand was pulling him away from the console station and moving him about the room.

"Dance crazy, Father," Kolyat laughed, "come on!"

Dance crazy. It was something that Kolyat only asked of his father, a special act that he held on to since he was four. Thane lifted his arms above his head and shook them wildly while he twisted his body back and forth. Kolyat's giggles fueled his dancing until he swore he caught a glimpse of the light in a child's world. He grabbed Kolyat and lifted him high into the air and swung him to and fro to the beat of the music.

"Spin me!" Kolyat shrieked with joy.

Thane happily did so and laughed as the world became even brighter. Kolyat was the source of it and it engulfed him, quickened his heart and made him feel even more alive than ever before. Perhaps he could try as Irikah said. For the family…for Kolyat….

The console suddenly beeped and Thane froze. His contact! He set Kolyat down so abruptly the boy stumbled and he looked up at his father with confused eyes. "Father?"

"This is important business, Kolyat. I must listen to this."

"Father…" Kolyat whined.

Thane turned his back to the boy and began reading the information his contact sent to him. Tarnik was on Omega? Strange that he would be so bold to not cover his tracks when his associates were driven from the outer Hanar colonies just months before. Perhaps he was there to find new business partners or recruits. Interesting….

He was so engrossed in the details of his next job that he barely registered the tugging at his sleeve.

"Father?"

Thane blinked several times and looked down at his son who seemed on the verge of tears. He had no words to ease Kolyat's pain or any way to tell the boy that he simply had to work. So he handled the situation like he always did. He ran.

"I have to read this," he said softly, "go help your mother with dinner." He turned his back to Kolyat, too much of a coward to face the look of pain on his son's face. Thane closed his eyes and stood still, hoping that his cold dismissal would eventually cause Kolyat to leave. When he heard the retreating shuffle of feet and a slammed door, he knew he was finally alone.

"I'm sorry, Kolyat," he whispered, finally gathering the courage after the boy was gone. Too late. Always too late.


	2. Chapter 2

**I have to say thank you to the people that said a few words, I appreciate it. I'm still in the middle of classes so I'm not able to update as much as I'd like. I hope you still enjoy!**

**Mass Effect is property of Bioware.**

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><p>Dinner in the Krios household was awkward to say the least. The three of them sat at the table eating silently with no real idea what to say to each other. It fell to Irikah to fill the meal with idle conversation.<p>

"How did your planetary studies go, Kolyat?" she asked him sweetly.

Kolyat continued to stab at the food with his fork. "Fine," he grumbled.

Irikah shot a questioning glare at Thane but her husband offered no facial cues to hint at what was going on. She could only assume that Thane had managed to mess things up somehow and Kolyat was turning inward, a bad habit he seemed to have inherited from his father.

Kolyat practically inhaled his meal and asked to be excused, running out of the kitchen and into his room. The tension doubled and Irikah opened her mouth to speak but Thane broke the silence first.

"I'll be leaving tonight," he said softly.

Irikah sighed and looked down at her plate; she had barely touched her food and now had no desire to do so. "I expected as much," she replied sadly. "How long this time, Thane?"

"A month, at the most," Thane told her. It was a half truth, of course, and they both knew it. Thane had just returned from being away for three months, traveling to the farthest reaches of space just to kill a target.

Irikah knew it was pointless to argue and she had lost some of that fire he remembered nearly a decade ago. She got up from the table and looked at him. "Return to us when it's convenient," she told him coolly. "Be safe, my husband."

Thane reached out for her but she pulled away. "Siha, I love you…" he began.

Irikah smiled then but it never reached her sad eyes. "Goodnight and be safe, Thane. I love you."

She walked out of the room and left Thane alone. He clasped his hands together on the table and his eyes drifted to the window. The suns were beginning to set on Kahje, filling the sky with deep colors of orange, blue and purple. He prayed to the gods to help him through the difficult times.

"Watch over my family in my absence, Arashu," he pleaded softly to the empty room. "Let them stay in the light of your grace, safe and innocent from the dark of my sins. Guide me Rashna, goddess of devotion and divine love, as I do what I must for the well-being of my wife and child. And Amonkira, lead me to my target to grant them a swift passing into Kalihira's embrace."

If the gods heard Thane, they certainly gave no sign. He was left with only his faith and the gnawing feeling that something was wrong. Perhaps it was just knowing that Kolyat was upset with him, Irikah even more so. What else was he supposed to do? He could only use the skills he was blessed with in an attempt to give them some semblance of a normal life. He wanted Kolyat to have a childhood and never have to go through what he did. His breath caught in his throat as he was thrown back in a memory.

_He runs around the yard, laughing as he plays with a toy. His mother watches from the door and calls him inside to meet their guest. He enters the small house and looks up at the Hanar that seemed to float off the ground. He bows like his father taught him and giggles as the Hanar flashes in a way that is the equivalent of making a silly face. Bright blues and pink dance across the Hanar's body but then it fades. 'This one is a representative of the Illuminated Primacy and has chosen the Krios family for a possible Compact. Will the Krios family serve? Will Krios family agree to let young child Thane serve?' His parents share a look that he doesn't understand. Eventually, the answer comes. 'Yes," his father says proudly._

Thane shuddered as he returned to the present and sighed. It had been a true honor to serve but now it left him somewhat out of place in the world. What became of the weapon after a war was over? What life was there for him beyond what he was taught? He made a disgusted sound and chided himself for asking such questions. Thane was trying to find the answers ever since the Hanar released him from their service. It left the terrifying question of "now what?" and he had yet to figure out what came next.

Well, there was always the job. Killing, he had learned, was an art and the Hanar had trained him to be a master. For now, the job came next and all of his troubles would be tackled later. He got up from the table, cleaned the remaining dishes and went back into the study. In the corner was the small bag of possessions that he normally carried. Change of clothing, several IDs when he traveled through the galaxy and other odds and ends that came in handy. His weapons were safely stored in a warehouse on the more remote areas of Kahje. It was there that he slept when he was too busy to come home. No, not busy…too cowardly.

_She watches him sadly as he gathers his things. "I need you, love," she pleads. "This job won't take long," he promises, "I'll be back within the week."_

_She cries then and hugs the small toddler in her arms. Kolyat, a mere three years, looks up at his father with large eyes identical to his own. His small arms reach up for him. "Daddy…"_

_Thane kisses his forehead but still leaves. Has he done the right thing? Has he ever?_

Thane gasped as he was released from the memory. Why so many of them? Why now? No, he couldn't let himself fall victim to his guilt. It was for Irikah and Kolyat that he continued to kill. To make things safer for them…

Thane grabbed his bag and peeked into Kolyat's room. The young boy was in his bed, mumbling softly in his sleep as his eidetic memory and subconscious merged. He slipped away and stopped by the bedroom he usually shared with Irikah. The door was closed and he leaned toward it to listen for movement. Muffled crying drifted through the door and Thane's heart clenched. He never wanted to hurt his wife but always managed to do so. What could he say to ease her discomfort? At least she and Kolyat were safe from the second life he led, that was all that mattered. Feeling justified in his actions still didn't give him enough courage to open the door. He left the house, closing the door softly behind him and headed into the pouring rain to his weapons storehouse.

As he traveled off world in a public shuttle, he began to cough softly but quickly dismissed it. Traveling back to Kahje after being on another planet always seemed to give a tickle in his throat. He leaned back in his seat and thought sadly of Irikah and his son. For the sake of his family, he had to sin once more.

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><p><strong>Shorter than I would like but I figured something was better than none, yes? I'm still working on this one and should have another chapter out by the end of the week. Laters...<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Another chapter, as promised! I was playing Mass Effect again just the other day and I'm even more excited for the final installment! I plan on taking this story as far as the muse takes me. I hope you enjoy it.**

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><p>Finding Tarnik on the useless heap of rock called Omega was proving more difficult than Thane had originally planned. Mercenaries were everywhere and often stonewalled him in all his efforts. If there was killing to be done, the merc groups saw it as their right to handle any and all contracts. But Thane was nothing if not resourceful and he was able to find people willing to talk. His employer made sure his mission was well funded so he was able to grease enough palms to uncover that Tarnik was setting up shop with the Eclipse mercenary band. The group was certainly a formidable enemy but Thane was able to make a deal with the Eclipse commander, Jaroth. Thane managed to set the ruthless salarian up with a seller of black market Battle YMIR Mechs, massive killing machines that were popular infantry support for the mercenaries. The large machines were too noisy and too slow as far as Thane was concerned but it bought Jaroth's favor. The salarian could buy as many mechs as he wanted in the years to come but who might fall to those mechs was not Thane's concern, only Tarnik.<p>

Thane was headed towards Tarnik's location and he frowned with disgust as he passed by growling Vorcha and dirty Batarians. Why would Tarnik lower himself to stay in such squalor? Was he that desperate to hide from the death that he knew was coming? Thane had considered luring him out and sniping him from the many advantage points on the station but opted for a more direct approach. He saw three Eclipse soldiers on patrol and he let out a long and slow breath as he slipped into Battlesleep. Nothing mattered but eliminating his target and his mind raced with strategy, his body growing cold and still.

_Stick to shadows. First guard: Front approach. Grab back of head and firmly grasp chin and turn to snap neck. Second guard: Most likely to draw weapon. Approach from lower side to disarm, use as shield for third guard. Third guard: Using second guard's weapon, shoot between the eyes for clean kill. Snap second guard's neck. _

_Amonkira guide me._

Thane crept down the hallway and executed his plan flawlessly. The second guard reacted slower than Thane had anticipated so he was able to attack the man directly without a lower approach. The third guard went down with ease, falling back on the cold metal floor as the bullet ricocheted around in his skull. He grabbed the key card from one of the dead bodies and slipped inside the room. His large eyes quickly adjusted to the dark and he searched the room to soak up every detail. There were three possible escape routes and the hallway to his right would lead him to Tarnik's apartment. He made a move and the room flooded with light, making Thane hiss with pain as he was temporarily blinded.

"I don't know how you found me but I won't go down easy!" A voice Thane recognized as Tarnik shouted from deeper in the room and several bullets whizzed by his head. Thane smirked and praised Arashu that Tarnik was such an awful shot. Tarnik cursed and Thane heard him hitting his weapon to eject the heat sink. It was enough time for Thane to run across the room and kick the pistol out of Tarnik's hand. Thane watched the Batarian scramble away and all four of the man's eyes blinked rapidly with fear.

"Who sent you? I can pay you double!"

"Your money doesn't concern me," Thane whispered. With Tarnik's death, the Hanar and Drell in the outer colonies would be able to rest without fear.

Tarnik cursed again. He was a business man not a damn soldier! That's why he had hired a dozen of Jaroth's men to keep him protected while he waited for his latest plan to go through. Unless Thane managed to take out a dozen men that quickly, the alternative was clear. Jaroth had sold him out. He wouldn't have even had to worry if his bosses didn't get themselves killed a month or so ago. The Drell was quick and merciless and the organization was soon scattered with no real leadership. The rest of the organization ran to the Citadel, hiding away in Chora's Den while they worked on getting some information from Barla Von. They were supposed to launch the attack on the assassin but knew a direct attack was too risky. Tarnik had decided to go for the man's family on Kahje instead. It was a perfect plan since the Drell would be overcome with grief and be easy to take down. If the plan went well then Tarnik would have been able to take control of the slaver ring with no opposition.

Tarnik was no expert of Drell emotions but the assassin didn't look very upset or worried. Either he didn't care his wife was just murdered or he didn't know. Tarnik smiled widely, revealing the several rows of long pointed teeth.

"You're Krios, aren't you?"

The assassin's only reaction was several quick blinks of both eyelids. "Knowing my name will not forestall your death, slaver."

"Maybe not, but that pretty frog wife of yours might care."

Thane's eyebrow ridges lowered in a deadly frown as his soul stirred. His mind told him to ignore the Batarian's words, kill him and leave Omega. That was the logical approach but his body moved before he could stop himself. Within seconds, he had already stabbed Tarnik's upper eyes with his thumb and forefinger and the Batarian screamed.

"You do not insult my wife!" Thane hissed.

Tarnik tried to laugh past the pain but just couldn't do it. "Irikah, right? We know all about you Krios…the Shadow Broker gave us plenty of information."

Thane jabbed at another of Tarnik's eyes, making the man howl with pain once more. "Speak quickly before I leave you completely blind."

The Batarian blinked weakly at Thane with just one good eye. "You were going to be so easy to take down once we killed your wife and if you were still too hard to take down we were going to get your son next. I-I told you what you wanted….you can let me go! I'll find a way to stop the hit, I swear! Just let me g-"

Tarnik was unable to finish due to Thane violently bashing in the man's face with his knee. "I made no such promise," he whispered. Thane stood but was unable to move otherwise. Could he believe Tarnik's words? Thane always kept his work and home separated. He was careful not to discuss his contracts with Irikah or her family and usually wandered for two days after a hit to avoid being followed. It had worked well for all these years but…

But that was before Tarnik mentioned the Shadow Broker. If the enigmatic information dealer was involved, Thane was almost positive that the simple knowledge of his wife and child could easily be found out. He had taken no precautions to prevent such information being leaked, he was too confident in his abilities to deem it necessary.

Thane paid extra to catch the fastest shuttle off Omega and bought his way on a cargo ship using the Mass Relay to jump to Hanar space. Despite traveling at FTL speeds, it would still take hours to arrive and every minute tore his insides apart.

He expected it to be night on Kahje when he finally arrived but it was still mid-afternoon. The Mass Relay jumps always managed to confuse his internal clock since day and night always varied from star system to star system. Thane ran to his house and was thankful that Kolyat would still been at school.

_Arashu…..please._ He had no other prayer in his mind, just the desperate begging that he would make it in enough time. Thane imagined Irikah in the kitchen, surprised that he made it home so soon and tease him for rushing inside the house like a fool. She would be there. She HAD to be there.

He pushed at the door and found that it swung open easily. His heart began to ache.

_Amonkira…..I beg you._

The house was quiet and Thane took out his gun just in case he was not alone. Calling out to Irikah would only give away his presence so he simply wandered through the house, searching through each room. He froze when he saw the bedroom light on and he slowly made his way down the hallway. He took cover by the doorway and whirled around with his gun pointed to take down any and all attackers.

"My gods…" he whispered and stumbled into the room. Irikah was on the floor in a pool of blood and staring blindly forward. Thane dropped his gun, rushed to her side and felt her throat for a pulse but there was no use. Her soul had already left her body and was traveling to be with Kalihira.

He blinked rapidly but no tears would come, only a cold numbness settling around his heart. She was gone and it was because of him. Thane choked on the overwhelming guilt and shame and he scrambled away from her bloody and broken body. It seemed that her virtues were left intact but he knew from the way her arms fell that they were severely broken. Her skull had been cracked open and there were several bruises to her face. The Batarians had given her a slow painful death, the greatest insult anyone could receive.

Thane felt a new emotion rise within him for the first time. Hate. He killed indiscriminately across the galaxy feeling only occasional regret but nothing else. Even his last contract was simply a job. It was a good deed, of course, but Thane didn't have anything personally against Tarnik. It was also the same way he was able to give aid to scum like Jaroth and feel absolutely nothing. In his Battlesleep all that mattered was the death of his contract and nothing else.

Now he had finally seen death not as a deliverer but a victim. It was his work that did this, his sins that had destroyed the peace of their home. Thane not only hated the Batarians for their crime but he hated himself for being the one at fault. He opened up his omni-tool and contacted the authorities, informing them of a break in and murder. His voice sounded strange to him. It was broken and raw with emotion and he had to wipe his eyes when the room became blurry from his silent tears. There would be justice for this, he promised himself and Irikah. There would be revenge.


	4. Chapter 4

"Her body goes to the sea."

Thane looked over to his left and watched the Hanar monks flash with light as they sang sadly. Since the Hanar communicated by bioluminescence there were extra flickers of light to accompany the regular flashes to express happiness, anger and sorrow. They glowed softly, expressing the deep sorrow of the death and sang of Irikah's soul finding the Enkindlers.

Of course, Thane believed she would find her way into the arms of Kalihira but he respected the Hanar too much to interrupt the ceremony for a personal belief. Irikah had spoken of the Enkindlers often and he knew she had more faith in that philosophy than he did. So it seemed fitting that Irikah was given to the deep this way.

He coughed as the rain poured down on him but he would not move. A week had passed since the day he returned and he visited Regit-Samalyn during that time. Between the questioning by Hanar security and funeral arrangements, Thane didn't have much time to go back and check on the results. He stood and watched as Irikah's seaweed wrapped body was taken from the platform and the Hanar attendants lowered her into the water. The large stoned added extra weight and her body began to slowly disappear under the watery grave.

"Her fire is gone to be Rekindled anew." Their sad voices rang.

"Mother! Let her go!"

Thane was shaken as Kolyat's high pitched scream made his head ache. Everyone turned to look at the small boy-Drell and Hanar alike- and watched with dread as he sprinted off towards the unforgiving waves of sea. Irikah's sister, Tayla, cried out to him and tried to catch him but it was Thane that got to him first. He hefted the boy up and carried him to a safe distance; it would have been easier if Kolyat wasn't fighting him the entire time.

"Let me go! You don't care, you don't care!"

Thane set Kolyat down but instantly had to grip his arms tightly as the boy continued to fight him. "I want Mother, I don't want you!"

Tayla joined them. "Kolyat, I know you miss her—we all do—but your father is just—"

"No help at all," Kolyat spat. His tiny fists pounded at Thane's chest, hitting him with all the strength that he had. "Stop them! Don't let them take her away! Why weren't you—" Kolyat burst into tears, sobbing with a pain and loss that Thane was not able to match. His own parents had died of old age, nothing else, and their passing across the sea was simply setting them to rest. Again, Thane was left outside from Kolyat's world and tried to console him in the best way he could.

"She….is at peace now," he said softly. He did not believe it but he hoped Kolyat would.

Kolyat continued to weep and cry out softly for Irikah, the warm rains of Kahje mixing with his tears. Thane could only stand there and pat his shoulder, hating himself as his son cried tears for both their sakes. It was Tayla that finally interrupted them and did what Thane had not thought of. She knelt down and pulled the boy into a warm embrace, hugging him tightly as he continued to sob.

"I want my mom, Auntie Tayla!"

"I know, dear, I know," Tayla sniffed. "I want her too. We're going back home now, do you want to go with your father?"

Kolyat tightened his hug, clinging to Tayla. "NO!"

Tayla looked over her shoulder and her husband was there, ready to support his wife. "I'll take him home," he offered. "Come on, Kolyat…come with Uncle Yannis."

Kolyat sniffed and only left Tayla to grab hold of Yannis' hand and they walked off toward the cars. Thane felt even worse than before as he watched his son being led away. Not only was he unable to protect his wife but now he couldn't even comfort his son. It wasn't entirely his fault; he was completely socially inept and empathy was never a useful skill when snapping someone's neck.

"Tayla…I…" Thane began softly.

Her hug took him off guard and she held him onto him as tightly as she had Kolyat. "I know this is hard for you, Thane. You were away on business so there was no way you could have known."

Yes, away on business. He was always away on business, wasn't he? Irikah never told her family what Thane actually did but instead created a story that involved corporate sales and meetings that had him traveling across the galaxy. It was a romantic idea she had concocted and it gave Thane sympathy from her family that he felt he didn't deserve.

He pulled away from her; too ashamed to look in her eyes so close to her sister's. "I thank you for your concern but I…I will be fine. Kolyat needs the most attention now."

Tayla nodded. "He's taking this very hard but he'll be fine with time. I know you need to work but maybe you could stay with us…we don't have much room but you're welcome."

"No, I think not. Kolyat seems to be better off without me…"

"Don't say that, Thane," Tayla gasped, "he loves you!"

Thane gave her a slight bow of apology. "Of course, I'm just having difficulty right now. I have business to take care of off world and I'll be able to return to him."

Tayla's brow ridges lowered in a disappointed frown but she didn't argue. "Of course, Thane. Kolyat is more than welcome in our house. Will you be leaving tonight?"

"Yes, I'm afraid I must."

Tayla's frown deepened. "I….yes, I understand. Travel safely, Thane."

Thane quickly left the platform and out of the rain since his chest was beginning to ache. He wasn't sure if it was because of the humid environment or the pain of not being able to comfort his own son. It was a heaviness in his heart that Thane was experiencing for the first time in his life and he hated it.

It was guilt.


End file.
